Tinman 0 Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 The Fowl and Feather Forum couldn't come at a better time for me... I am looking at getting up to 10 chickens mainly for eggs but I have a few questions that I hope you guys can answer! I was thinking of getting a coup like this off eBay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=150313940192 Advice welcome on this? I live in an area where there are fox's, I plan on giving the chickens about a 1/4 of an acre but there are fields all around me, what would be the best protection against predators? I planned on having 6ft high fencing using Horse mesh. Again advice welcome? As for the birds themselves I am not too concerned yet but anyone living in Rugeley, Cannock, Stafford Lichfield area can get in touch if they are selling any or know someone who is selling. Cheers Tinman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
farmerrich 1 Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Hi mate, not far away from you, live near Stone. I keep a few birds myself, not great egglayers though. Indian game for meat and becuse I like em and a few bantam crosses for eggs and brooding chicks. I built a pen like the keepers do for releasing pheasants but a bit smaller. 5 x 5m using 7ft posts and 6ft chicken wire. Bang your posts in 2ft and put a plain straining wire all around the top. Clip your wire to it all around, leaving space for a door and so that it overlaps 1ft on the ground. Then run another length of wire round the bottom to pin it down. Now for the important bit, get yourself an energiser and run an electric wire arround your pen, that'l keep them safe from charlie and brock. Put your hen house in the middle of the pen. You can then let the chooks free range while your around but when your not they have a safe enclosure so they can still range a bit. You can also put a hotwire around your boundary to make it a bit more secure. EFC at Seighfordwill have all the materials you want. Cant help you out for stock unless you want a few meat birds later on, let me know and I can sort you out with a few. Try Penkridge market wednesday afternoons. If its lots of eggs you want get some hybrids, they'l lay 6-7 eggs a week, black rocks look nice and lay loads of brown eggs. Cream legbars if you want green or blue eggs, marans or welsummers if you want really dark ones, you cant beat leghorns for white ones. Purebreeds won't lay as many eggs as hybrids but will last longer, the hybrids won't lay as many after the first year. Good luck, let us know how you get on. Rich Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tinman 0 Posted January 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Hi mate, not far away from you, live near Stone. I keep a few birds myself, not great egglayers though. Indian game for meat and becuse I like em and a few bantam crosses for eggs and brooding chicks. I built a pen like the keepers do for releasing pheasants but a bit smaller. 5 x 5m using 7ft posts and 6ft chicken wire. Bang your posts in 2ft and put a plain straining wire all around the top. Clip your wire to it all around, leaving space for a door and so that it overlaps 1ft on the ground. Then run another length of wire round the bottom to pin it down. Now for the important bit, get yourself an energiser and run an electric wire arround your pen, that'l keep them safe from charlie and brock. Put your hen house in the middle of the pen. You can then let the chooks free range while your around but when your not they have a safe enclosure so they can still range a bit. You can also put a hotwire around your boundary to make it a bit more secure. EFC at Seighfordwill have all the materials you want.Cant help you out for stock unless you want a few meat birds later on, let me know and I can sort you out with a few. Try Penkridge market wednesday afternoons. If its lots of eggs you want get some hybrids, they'l lay 6-7 eggs a week, black rocks look nice and lay loads of brown eggs. Cream legbars if you want green or blue eggs, marans or welsummers if you want really dark ones, you cant beat leghorns for white ones. Purebreeds won't lay as many eggs as hybrids but will last longer, the hybrids won't lay as many after the first year. Good luck, let us know how you get on. Rich Hi Rich Thanks for your reply mate. Really appreciate your post. I don't suppose you have any images of your set-up for me to see? Thanks Tinman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
farmerrich 1 Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 sorry mate i havent but if you have any more questions i will try to help Rich Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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